Spring slide door-jamb or latch



F. CLARK.

SPRING SLIDE'DOOR JAMB 0R LATCH- APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 26. 1919. RENEWED nsc. 24. 1920. 1,383,983.

Patented July 5 I W j fif""" I f' F INVENTOR i ramczlsco (ya/r16} BY Mw- ATTORNEYS WITNESSES FRANCISCO CLARK. OF DURANGO, MEXICO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921.

Application filed June 26, 1919, Serial No. 306,784. Renewed December 24, 1920. Serial No. 433,051.

To all whomc't may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANoIsco CLARK, a citizen of Mexico, and a resident of Durango city, in the State of Durango and Republic of Mexico, have invented a new and Improved Spring Slide Door-Jamb or Latch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates generally to a new and improved door jamb or latch and relates more specifically to a latch or door jamb having a sliding keeper.

In the construction of locks and latches heretofore provided when used in combination with a locking means on a door, in order to permit movement of the door and the locking device carried thereby, it has. been necessary to actuate the locking mechanism carried by the door.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a door jamb or latch having a relatively movable member, which, when used in combination with alocking mechanism carried by a door, may be actuated to permit movement of the door without the necessity of actuating the locking mechanism carried by the door.

A further object of this invention is to provide a latch of simple construction, which may be used in combination with a door locking mechanism, so that a projecting bolt member of the lock may be moved inwardly of the lock and when positioned therein, will release certain mechanism of the latch to hold the door in a locked position.

The above. objects are accomplished by providing a door jamb having a casing, a spring actuated sliding member therefor, and a means for holding said member in a retracted, predetermined position until a bolt member is moved inwardly of the jamb, at which time said meansisactuated to release the spring actuated sliding member to lock the door.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, showing one of the preferred forms of the invention.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is an end elevation.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the keeper or cover withdrawn.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view.

Fig. 5 is a broken view of the door jamb shown partly in section in combination with a broken sectional view of the locking mechanism, showing a bolt positioned within the door jamb.

In the drawings, the door jamb is shown as comprising a casing 1 open at one end 2 and also at one side. The casing 1 comprises a bottom 4 and sides 5 and 6, extending upward therefrom, the said sides being spaced from the edges of the bottom in order to form flanges 7 and 8. A top cover or keeper 9 is provided to close the open side of the casing, and is provided with flanges 10 and 11, which are guided in grooves 12 and 13 formed on the inner side of the upwardly extending sides 5, 6 near the upper edges thereof. A back 14 extends upward from the rear end of the bottom, the upper edge thereof stopping short of the upper edge of the sides in order to permit the keeper 9 to pass thereover. It is thus seen that the keeper 9 is slidably carried in the sides of the casing 1. A lug 15 extends downward from the under side of the keeper 9 within the casing.

In order to provide an automatic movement for the keeper in one direction, a spring 16 is interposed between theback 14 of the casing and the lug 15. As a means of pos tioning the ends of the spring 16, and as an additional guide for the sliding keeper, there is provided a'rodl? extending through the spring 16 and having one end thereof secured to the lug l5, and the other end thereof guided in an opening 18 formed in the back 14.

As a means of holding the keeper in withdrawn position against spring pressure, there is provided an L-shaped release mem ber 19 having one end 20 thereof bent and secured to the front edge of the bottom by screws 21 or other suitable means. One leg 22 of the L-shaped release 19 is of a width substantially equal to the distance between the sides 5 and 6 and extends inward from the. end 20 any suitable distance, which would be determined by the distance that a bolt 23 would extend within the door jamb. The other portion or leg 24 of the release is bent upward and substantially at right angles to the first leg 22, the latter leg 24 being wider than the first-named part 22, the side edges 25 and 26 of the leg 24 extending within vertically extending grooves 27 and 28 formed in the sides 5 and 6 respectively. The length of the leg 24 is substantially equal to the distance between the bottom 4 and the under surface of the keeper 9. r p V .A'means is provided. formoving the'upper end of the leg 24'into the path of movement of the keeper 9 when the latter has been withdrawn in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2a su flicient distance,so that the keeper may be held in a, withdrawn position by the release 19 until a bolt 23 or other" locking member. has been'moved inward of the jamb, at which time the end of the'leg 24 of the release 19 would be withdrawn from the path of movement of the keeper 9' andso will permit the action of-the spring 16- to move the keeper 9 forward and lock the bolt 23 or other member therein. There has been shown as a means for actuating the release 19, a spring 29 positioned in a re-' cess-30 formed in the bottom 4. In order that the keeper 9 may be manually with drawn, a knob" or handle31 is secured to it. There is shown in'Fig. 5 a portion of a lock which, in the usual construction, would be positioned in a door 32. The bolt 23 is shown slidably carried in a lock casing33.

The bolt-23 is shown in a locked position, the

end of the. bolt projecting outwardof the lock and into the door jamb between the bottom 4 and the keeper 9. One end of the bolt 23 is, slotted.

. f A key 34, having ward members 35 therein,

is shown in a keyhole housing 36. The tumbler members 37 areactuated by the;

ward members 35 of the key and are movable transversely of the bolt 23 so that, when properly positioned, the bolt 23' may be freely-moved. v.

The spring slide door jamb is not limited in its use to a lock of this character, but

may be used in combination with any other lock having a bolt or other locking member extending therefrom. .1 v u 'If, in Fig. 5, it is'desired to move the door in the direction indicated by the arrow X, X'

without using a key 34, .or without moving the-bolt 23 relative to the locking-mechanism orv door 32, it would only be necessary to grasp theknob 31 and move the keeper 9 in the direction of the arrow-Y, Y a suitable distance to permit the endof the release 19 to be forced outward, to permit the bolt 23 to move laterally outward of the door jamb.

Thus the door is opened from the inside without the use of a key or manipulating the locking device of the door in any manner to produce relative movement between the bolt and the door.

r ,Ifit1s assumed that the-lock and slide door'jamb are used on an outer door and it is desired to go from the inside to: the

outside andto lock the door after passing out without the use of a key or moving the thus prevent movement of for closing said open sideof the casing, a member acting automatically to hold 'the I keeper in an open position against the force of said closing means. 7

with the release 19 and moves the same a suficient distance to bring the end thereof out of the path ofmovement ofthe keeper 9, the keeper would automatically be moved forward by the actionof the "spring 16and thebolt 23 has been withdrawn from',-the door jamb into the look by the use of'the door key or r by keeper 9. r y

The release is preferably made of sheet metal, but it is understoodthat any other. suitable material may beused therefor. The door jamb casing and keeperare preferably made of cast metal, butiany other suitable material or method of constructing the same ma be used. V V

Wl hile there has herein been shown but again withdrawing the bolt relativetothe door,it-would onlybe the door until V 7 one preferred form of construction, it is understood that changes'and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and'scope of this invention.

Iclaim: 1 r f' j '1.*The herein described .jamb lock device comprising a casing open atone end and one side,af lock bolt keeper slidable longitudinally of the casing and adapted in one position to closethe open sidethereof, means carried by the two casing sides adjacent to the keeper'to confine the keeper in the position indicated, means acting upon. the keeper tending to hold it inthe position and 2. A device of the nature set forth in claim 1 in which said automatic member is releasable automatically by some coeperating member of the lock. V 3; A device ofthe nature set forth in claim andspring actuated inone direction.

'2 inwhich the automatic member is L-shaped 4. In 1a; jamb devicefor locks, the combination of a casing having a bottom wall and. two side :walls integral therewith, the

sidewalls being'parallel to. each other and 7 provided with a pair: of grooves on'their inner. faces near one endof the casing, said end of thecasingbeing. open, a keeper fitted slidably upon the edges of ithe'side walls remote from the 'bottom"wall a release mem-. ber attached tortheopenend ofzthe'casing and having extensions guided in said grooves, means acting upon the release mem- V ber to-cause it to move outward along said grooves. in position to. zholdthe keeper remote from the open end of the casing, and

means-acting upon'the keeper tending to force it toward theope'nf end of the'casing when the release member is Withdrawn therefrom.

5. A door jamb comprising a casing, open at one end and one side thereof, a keeper slidable in said open-side to form a closure therefor, said keeper having a lug extending inward of the casing, a spring member between said lug and the closed end of the casing tending to actuate the said keeper in one direction toward the open end of the casing, a release comprising an L-shaped member having one end thereof secured to the bottom of the casing and the other end thereof bent inWard from the open end of the casing and adjacent to the bottom of the keeper, and resilient means for moving said release into the path of movement of the keeper when said keeper is Withdrawn.

6. A keeper for looks, comprising a casing having an opening in one side, a manually operated and spring pressed sliding closure for said opening, and means adapted to be released by the bolt of a lock for holding the closure retracted to uncover the said opening.

7. A keeper for looks, comprising a casing having an opening, a manually operated and spring pressed sliding closure for said opening, and means for automatically engaging the closure When moved in position to uncover the opening to hold it in said position, said means being adapted to be engaged by the bolt of a lock to disengage it from the closure and permit it to close the said opening.

FRANCISCO CLARK. 

